BEN GALLAGHER – HEART SHAPED ROCKS

– By Rebecca LaPole
Ben Gallagher has been making art rock, playing mountain country, accompanying ballets and avant garde art
performances, as well as playing Abraham Lynch, the pianist from the dark, zombie-death-polka band, The
Widow’s Bane. Recently, he has branched out on his own and created a solo masterpiece called Heart Shaped
Rocks. Released in January 2015, Ben Gallagher’s album is brooding, poetic genius. It’s a perfect album to lose
yourself in and the intriguing, thought-provoking lyrics and unique sounds pull you back to a different era;
a simpler time. Dogs howling in the background, songs fading into the ice cream man’s tune, a Green Bullet
microphone, and several other talented musicians including drummer Jon Mouser and trumpeter Tung Pham (of
the Widow’s Bane) add to the complexity and depth of this album. “Beleaguered” has a simple, repetitive lyric
that is driven home with a building crescendo of instruments. “What My Father Told Me” has been performed
by Ben with the Widow’s Bane, and has an up-beat break similar to some of their other songs. “Missing Pieces”
is a great look at a relationship, and “College” is an ironic tale about what it takes to get a degree. All in all, this
album is an incredible journey to take with a talented, old soul.